Falls the Shadow
by Katy M VT
Summary: Sam awakens in a dark room with no idea of how he got there and no idea of how to get out. Set Season 2
1. Chapter 1

Sam opened his eyes. It was pitch black. Or almost. There was a blinking red light up above him to the right.

"Hello?" he yelled.

There was no response. How had he gotten here?

"Calm down," he said to himself. "What's the last thing you remember?"

He took a deep breath and tried to think. He and Dean had had that argument. Dean told him that dad had told him he might have to kill him. Yeah, that's what everyone wanted to hear. Sam shook his head to clear it. That wasn't important right now. He had snuck out of their room and stolen a car. He was going to go to the Roadhouse to get help from Ash and Ellen. Had he made it? The last thing he could remember was turning right out of the motel parking lot, but something must have happened after that. What?

OK, he was getting agitated again. Clear his head. If he couldn't remember how he got there, maybe he could figure out something about where he was. He put his hand down. Felt like carpet. He started to crawl forward and was brought up short by a tugging at his ankle. Metal straight against his skin. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed that right away. He took his hands and felt down and followed the chain. The chain was attached to a ring in the wall. At least that's what it felt like.

"OK, this can't be good." The chain felt like it was about a foot long. He couldn't feel anything else in any other direction. So, the room was at least 15 feet by 7 feet. What did that tell him? Nothing.

SSS

Sam had been sitting against the wall for what seemed like hours. His eyes couldn't adjust to the dark, because there was no light at all, bar the tiny red light blinking above him. What was that? There was no light streaming in from under a door crack. there was nothing.

"Hello!" he yelled again. He was met with silence. Had he been left to die? He didn't have any way to even begin to figure out how much time was passing. Those hours could have been a half hour, or half a day.

He heard a noise to his left. It sounded like something opening. He looked just in time to see light and heard something land near him before it went dark again. He felt around until he found a bottle and a small box. He opened the box and felt a sandwich. He set it aside. He didn't know if it was poisoned. Then, he reasoned if whoever wanted to kill him, they could have done it before throwing him in here. He at the sandwich, pulled the cover off the bottle, took a small taste, and tasted nothing but water and drank it. He would just have to hope for the best.

SSS

At some point he had drifted off to sleep. He woke up when he thought he heard something.

"Sam Winchester." A voice came from what was probably the ceiling.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Sam asked.

"Stand up."

"No," Sam said. Kidnapping 101. Never make anything easy for them.

"AARGH!" he yelled as a shot of electricity flew through his ankle. Great, his shackle was electrified.

"Stand up. That was a low setting."

Sam reluctantly stood up.

"Turn towards the red light."

Must be a camera, Sam thought, as he turned to the right. What is going on here.

"Put your hands up."

OK, this was just getting weird.

With no warning, Sam was hit with a voltage much higher than the first time. He fell to the ground and lost consciousness. His last thought was "what the hell is going on?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Ellen, have you heard from Sam?" Dean practically yelled into the phone.

"Dean?" Ellen asked. She didn't know what it was about hunters that thought they could just call and start talking without ever identifying themselves.

"Yeah. Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Heard from Sam?" Dean asked in an irritated voice.

"No. What's going on?"

"He took off sometime before I got up yesterday morning and I haven't heard from him. We kind of had a disagreement, but I figured he would call when he cooled off." OK, he didn't think that all, but he knew Sam was on some kind of quest and figured he would go to Ellen, Ash, or Bobby for help at some point. Bobby hadn't heard from him, so he was checking with Ellen.

"Well, I haven't heard from him," Ellen repeated.

"What about Ash or Jo?"

There was a pause.

"Is something wrong?" Dean asked, forgetting his own concern for a moment.

"Jo took off after she worked that last job with you. She wanted to hunt and I said 'not under my roof' and she said fine and left."

"Sorry, Ellen. We never meant for that to happen."

"I know. It's OK. Anyway, Ash has been holed up out back all day. Believe it or not, he doesn't have a cell phone, so there's no way he could have heard from Sam."

"Thanks, Ellen," Dean said again, and hung up. Sam had been gone for almost 48 hours. He would get some sleep, then try his cell in the morning. If he didn't answer, Dean was going to drive back and forth across the country until he found him.

SSS

Dean was woken from his sleep by his phone ringing. He checked the clock, it was 5 a.m. He checked the display hoping it was Sam. It said unavailable. "This better be important," he growled into the phone.

"Well, I guess that depends on if you want to see your little brother," the voice on the other end said.

Dean bolted up, now wide awake. "Who is this?" He most definitely didn't recognize the voice. At all.

"That does seem to be the million dollar question. You got a computer handy?"

"What?" Dean asked. What was going on? Someone called him, insinuated he had his brother and then started asking about computers? This was getting weirder by the second.

"A computer. With internet connection."

"Yeah," Dean said as he opened up his laptop.

"Go to . The password to get in is 'itsalluptodean' one word."

"What?" Dean asked.

"You heard me. Hurry up, Deano."

"Who is this?" Dean asked again as he logged in and typed in the password.

"I'm not here to answer questions."

Dean saw Sam on the screen. It looked like he was sleeping on a floor somewhere. He thought from the way the screen looked that the room was dark and some kind of infrared camera was being used. He needed to get all the clues he could.

"Sam Winchester," he heard the voice on the other end intone.

Sam stirred. OK, he was still alive. This was a good thing

"Stand up."

It looked like Sam said something, but he made no move to get up. "That's my boy," Dean thought. Then, he saw Sam jerk and spasm and his mouth opened in a silent scream.

"Sammy!" Dean shouted.

"Shut up," the voice on the other end said. "Stand up. That was a low setting."

Dean watched Sam struggle to stand.

"Turn towards the red light."

Sam turned so that he was facing him. He had been in profile before.

"Put your hands up."

Sam complied immediately. Whatever that bastard had done to him had clearly hurt. Wait. What was he wearing? A t-shirt that said "I'm just a pawn." Sam was nobody's pawn.

"If you want him to live, you're going to do exactly as I say."

"If you touch him, I will kill you," Dean threatened.

"That's not how this works, Deano." The phone was hung up.

Dean watched the screen as Sam screamed and crumpled to the floor. He watched, waiting for Sam to move for a few seconds before the screen went to black.

"Sammy," Dean whispered as his head fell down into his open hand. Had he just gotten his brother killed?

SSS

Fifteen minutes later, Dean got himself together and got dressed. Before the phone call he had assumed Sam had just taken off. Now he knew he had been taken. Whether from the motel or from somewhere else, he didn't know.

He went to the motel office. "Do you have security cameras?" he asked as he flashed a badge.

"Yeah," came the bored repsonse.

"I need to see 2 nights ago," Dean demanded.

The bored clerk turned the computer towards Dean, typed in something and then handed Dean the mouse, showing him how to go forward and backward.

"Thanks," Dean said. He fast fowarded until he saw Sam exiting their room. OK, he had been pretty sure that nobody would have been able to snatch Sam out of his bed while he was in the room with him. He watched as Sam broke into a car and took off out of the parking lot headed east. Well, he knew that he had left here under his own steam, but what had happened next?

He got into the Impala and headed off in the same direction Sam had gone. A few miles away he came to a gas station next to an interstate on ramp. Sam always liked to get gas before getting on the interstate. Dean pulled in and went inside.

"Have you seen this guy?" Dean asked as he showed the clerk a picture of Sam.

"Yeah, he was in here a couple of days ago, I think."

"What did he do?"

"What did he do? He bought gas, some snacks and I think he used the bathroom."

"Which way did he go after?"

"I don't know. I think maybe the interstate."

"Thanks," Dean said. He got on the interstate headed east. They were in Oregon. There wasn't much west. But, he didn't know how he was going to find him this way. He couldn't possibly know where Sam got off, or where he went after that.

Dean decided to head towards the Roadhouse. He really thought that's what Sam would have done.

SSS

Dean got off the interstate where Sam would have in order to head for Nebraska. A few miles down the road he saw a car parked. "No way," he said as he pulled up behind it. It was definitely the one he had seen Sam stealing on the surveillance camera.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam woke up in incredible pain. That last jolt of electricity was, well, it was electrifying. He pushed himself up into a sitting position. The lights came on and he blinked, having a hard time adjusting from the complete darkness.

He got his first glimpse of his prison. It looked like basement. There was absolutely nothing in it except for a carpet, him, his chain and the remains of the meal he had eaten earlier.

A door opened a couple of feet away from him, and someone around his age entered. "Sorry, Sammy. Looks like you're going to be here longer than expected."

"Who are you? What do you want?" Sam asked.

The other man knelt in front of him. "Right now I want some information."

"Yeah? Like what?" Sam asked while trying to decide if he should attack this guy. His hands were free. Only his leg was secured to the wall. But, if his captor didn't have the key to that shackle on him, attacking him would be pretty useless.

"What are Dean's weaknesses?"

"Who's Dean?" Sam tried bluffing.

The man in front of him smiled and pulled out a small device and pressed a button. Sam felt a jolt of electricity go through him, though not as large as the one before. "Don't mess with me, Sammy. I'm not in the mood. Your brother wouldn't play ball earlier."

He had been in touch with Dean? Did that have anything to do with the big jolt he had received before. "Yeah, well, whatever you want, he won't give it to you. He's stubborn that way."

"We'll see about that. He'll be going nuts. He was watching you on video. He saw you scream and crumple to the ground. For all he knows you're dead. He must be going crazy."

"I think you're the one that's crazy," Sam countered. But, he knew he was right. If Dean thought he was being hurt, or dead, and didn't know where to find him, he would be going crazy.

"Lay on your belly," the man commanded, while waving his clicker in front of Sam's face. Sam sighed and started to act like he was going to obey and then decided to take his chance. He had to have the key on him. He punched him, and when he doubled over, Sam slammed him over the head. He then began to go through his pockets when he felt another jolt of electricity, only slightly less than the one that had knocked him out earlier. He screamed and fell back against the wall.

"Did you think this was a one man operation?"

Sam looked up as another man walked in the room. He looked a lot like the first man. They were probably brothers. "Lay down on your belly."

The man Sam had hit began to stir. He lay face down. He obviously couldn't fight them both. He felt his hands being pulled behind him and felt the cuffs being tightened around them.

"Dont worry, Cal, he'll pay for that."

"That's right, Sammy. We're going to have to mess you up badly enough for Dean to see how bad off you are."

"What do you want?" Sam asked one more time.

"Complete compliance from both of you," the one named Cal said as he pulled out a knife and leered at Sam.

"You'll never get it," Sam vowed.

"We'll see," Cal said, as he began cutting Sam's shirt off. Sam looked down and wondered what he was wearing. That definitely wasn't the shirt he had on when he left Dean.

Cal took the knife and started cutting Sam along the torso. "Not too much" his brother warned. Our leverage still needs to be alive."

"I'm not leverage," Sam argued.

"Of course you are," Cal's brother corrected him. He picked up a couple of strips from the shirt that had been cut off. He balled one up and forced it in his mouth, and used the other one to tie it around his head, keeping the original piece in place.

"See you tomorrow," Cal promised, as he cut Sam a couple more times. Sam knew the cuts were shallow, but they were still bleeding a bit.

The brothers laughed as the left the room and once more plunged Sam into complete darkness.

Oh, Dean, who did you piss off this time? Sam wondered as he shivered against the cold air that began blowing into the room.

A few minutes later, he heard Cal's voice coming from the ceiling again. "Stand up, Sammy."

Sam struggled to his feet. He looked at the camera. He knew now that this was a show for Dean. He hoped he could communicate with his eyes that he was OK. Another blast of electricity and he fell to the ground unconscious once again.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: This is a reposting. I did a complete rewrite of the next chapter and changed some pretty major things necessitating that Dean had his phone. But, this should be the last change.

Dean approached the car warily. He didn't see any signs of struggle. No blood. Nothing. What had happened? How did that freak get his hands on his brother?

His phone rang. Unavailable. "Hello," he said desparately.

"Are you willing to cooperate?"

Dean closed his eyes. "Yes," he said. He would do whatever it took to get his brother back.

"I'm going to give you a location. You're going to go alone. Do you understand?"

"yes," Dean said. They were going to tell him where Sammy was. He didn't even care that it was a trap. He would save Sam no matter what they did.

"52 Prospect Street, Sandpoint, Idaho. Come alone. Come now. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200."

"OK," Dean said getting into his car. "Can I talk to Sam?"

"If you go to our special website, you can see him. You may take five minutes to do that before coming."

"Thanks," Dean said and then realized how ridiculous that was. He heard a click and used his phone to access the website. He saw Sam lying on the floor. This time his hands were cuffed behind him. He looked like he was shivering. Then he saw his head look up. He was slowly making his way to his feet. That guy must have told him to stand up again.

Dean felt enraged as he saw knife cuts along his chest, and a gag that looked way too tight to be comfortable. OK, pretty much any gag was going to be uncomfortable. Sam then spasmed and fell to the ground again. That bastard kept electrocuting his brother just to make a point. He was goingto pay for that one way or the other. Then the screen went dark.

"I'm coming, Sammy," Dean promised as he started the car. He grabbed the phone and sent a quick text.

SSS

Eleven hours later Dean arrived at the address. He got out of the car and wondered if he should ring the bell, sneak in, or what.

His phone rang. He answered it. "Yeah."

"Good boy, Dean. That was a test."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have surveiallance up at that address. I had to make sure you would really come alone before giving you the real address.'

"You bastard," Dean said. "Where are you?"

"Not yet. Go inside. Get some sleep. I'll call you in 12 hours. Disobey and Sam dies."

"Let me talk to Sam," Dean said.

"You don't get to make demands. You can take a peek before you go inside."

"Fine," Dean said. He logged onto the website and typed the password. He gasped. Sam looked so much worse than he did even 12 hours ago. He couldn't imagine what he would look like 12 hours hence. Dean was almost releived when the screen went dark.

He walked into the house. He figured he better at least go lie down. If Sam got punished because not sleeping counted as disobedience he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.


	5. Chapter 5

"Wake up, Sammy. It's been 6 hours of sleep."

Sam squinted against the light being turned on. His eyes then widened in horror as he saw the whip in Cal's brother's hand. "No," he mumbled against his gag.

Cal removed the gag and gave him some water. "How else is your brother going to take us seriously if we don't hurt you sufficiently? He's on his way."

"He won't come. He'll know it's a trap," Sam stated positively, although he was far from that. Dean tended to get a little reckless when it came to him.

"We spoke to him a few hours ago. Right after our last session. He was still in Oregon, so we figure he'll be here in another 5 to 7 hours."

"Then what will happen?" Sam asked.

Cal smiled and said, "why don't you just worry about what's going to happen now?"

Cal's brother brought the whip down on Sam's back and he yelled out in pain. "How many lashes do you think we should give him, Cal?"

"10 ought to give him a good criss-crossy look," Cal replied.

Sam gritted his teeth as the whip descended on his back for the second stroke. Three strokes later, Cal and his brother left him alone and Sam slipped into oblivion until he was awoken again six hours later.

"Stand up, Sammy."

Sam thought about not doing it, but he knew he would just get zapped and he would end up doing it anyway. He slowly struggled to his feet.

"Turn around. Dean-o's going to want to see those beatiful whip marks on your back."

Sam closed his eyes and turned around, hating himself for it. He couldn't imagine what this was doing to Dean. But, soon he didn't have to think about it anymore, as he crashed back into the floor again.

SSS

6 hours later

"We have a special treat for you, Sammy," Cal said as he gave him a drink of water.

Sam just glared. He hoped it was food. He was starving. Cal took a key out and unlocked Sam's leg. His hands were still cuffed, and he was so weak from the freezing cold, the lack of food, and the pain, that he couldn't really take advantage of it.

Cal reached down and pulled SAm up by the hair. "Where are we going?" Sam asked.

"You wouldn't want to ruin the surprise would you?" Cal asked as he once again gagged Sam.

Cal's brother entered the room and they stood on either side of Sam held on to his arms and led him out of the room and up the stairs. Were they leaving?

"Here we go," Cal said as he pushed Sam down on the living room floor. Why would they bring him upstairs? He soon got his answer when Cal's brother removed the grate from the fire place and picked up the poker. They were going to brand him. He scooted back.

Cal laughed. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked. He grabbed Sam around the torso and pulled him upright. Sam struggled with what little strength he had. Cal's brother stuck the poker in the fire for several seconds pulled it out and held it against Sam's chest. Sam screamed behind the gag.

"Turn him around," Cal's brother suggested. "We'll get both sides."

Cal spun Sam around so that his back was to his brother, and Sam felt the hot poker against his back. He passed out against Cal.

When Sam woke up again, he was in the dark, he was still gagged, he could feel the ankle shackle back on him, his hands were pulled above him. they had to be attached to something, but he couldn't imagine what, but whatever it was, it didn't have any give.

He heard the door open and the light come on. "Oh good, you're awake. Now the fun can start."


	6. Chapter 6

Dean was awakened by his phone ringing

"Where's my brother?" Dean asked, once again. He wasn't really expecting an answer

"That's not the right question," the man said.

"What is the right question?"

"What do I have to do to please you?"

"Yeah, I don't really care about that" Dean declared. "Where's my brother?"

"Watch some Sammyvision," the man said and the TV came to life. Dean saw Sam standing with his hands cuffed to a chain hanging from a hook on the ceiling. In addition the cuts and the whip marks that he had already seen, Sam also had burn marks.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled.

"Would you like for me to let him go?" the man asked.

What a moronic question, Dean thought. "Yes, please," he answered.

"Oh, so polite. Well all it will take is your complete cooperation and he goes free without another mark on him."

"Great. What do you want me to do?" Dean asked. He would do anything. That was his baby brother.

"First, you just need to tell us why you're here."

"What? I'm here because you kidnapped my brother and called me and told me to come." Dean had a feeling that couldn't be the right answer.

"But, why did I do that? Why do I want to punish you?"

"I don't even know who you are," Dean said in a panic. If Sam getting out of here depended on knowing why this guy was mad at him, he was in serious trouble because he had no idea.

"Sammy, your brother won't do the one they we ask," he said. Dean then watched as Sam started twitching.

"STOP!" Dean yelled.

"I'll give you a few minutes," he said and hung up.

The screen had been left on and Dean watched Sam. His face was etched in pain and he looked like he was shivering. He wasn't wearing a shirt and hadn't been the last three times he had been allowed a glimpse of him. A few seconds later, Dean saw the kidnapper walk into Sam's room. He didn't know him. He was sure of it. He grabbed Sam by the chin and turned his face to the camera. He was saying something to him, but Dean couldn't hear what. The man then took his knife out and caressed Sam's cheek with it. Sam shook his head no. The man cut Sam's gag off and then took the knife and pressed it to Sam's throat. He saw Sam close his eyes as the man said something else. Sam was saying no again.

"Sam, what are you doing? Whatever they want just do it."

The man then punched Sam in the stomach and then unlocked Sam's hands and let him fall to the floor. He leaned down next to Sam, knelt on his right arm, and then grabbed hold of it yanking it up. Dean could tell by the angle and the pain on Sam's face that he had broken it. DEan then watched the kidnapper pull out a phone.

Seconds later Dean's phone rang and he grabbed it. "Sam, beg your brother for your life."

Sam looked so defiant. Dean was proud. But, it didn't matter whether Sam begged or not. He didn't know the answer.

"Please," Dean would beg instead. "I don't know who you are. Please let my brother go. Do what you want to me."

"Eye for an eye, Deano."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.

"Forget it. Strip down to your underwear."

"What?" Dean asked. "I don't swing that way."

"I'm not in the mood, Dean." Dean watched as the man leaned down, grabbed Sam's hair and pulled him up. He placed the knife next to his throat and said "Strip down to your underwear."

"OK, OK," Dean said and did it. He never took his eyes off the screen. Sam was shivering and sweating at the same time. "Please just let him go.

"Dean if you do everything I tell you, Sam will be free within the hour."

Sam didn't believe that for a second. Dean had no choice but to believe it.

"OK, here's what you're going to do. You're going to hang up the phone and leave it upstairs, while you go to the basement. At the top of the stairs there's a padlock on the inside. Lock yourself in. Go to the bottom of the stairs. There's a door in the middle of the room. Go into that and padlock yourself in again. On the far side of the room there are some shackles. first attach them to your feet and then one of your hands. Unfortunately, I know you won't be able to do both hands. I'll just have to settle."

"Then what?" Dean asked.

"Then, I let Sammy go."

Sam started screaming to Dean not to do it. Cal put his hand over Sam's mouth and told him to shut up. Sam was pretty sure Dean could see him. Otherwise what was the point of holding him with the knife to his throat. He started to shake his head vigorously.

"Cut it out," Cal said and pushed him down while sending him a spurt of electricity.

"Hey!" Dean yelled.

Cal grabbed Sam up again and placed the knife to his throat once more. "Go complete your task, Dean-o. The faster you're secured, the faster I can let Sammy go."

This went against everything Dean was ever taught. But, he took a deep breath, put the phone on the counter, took one last look at Sam on the screen, walked down into the basement. Wondering if he was doing the right thing as he locked himself in. It was too late now. Since he had no way to escape anyway he went down the stairs quickly locked himself in the next room and shackled himself before he could lose his nerve.

"Good boy, Dean," he heard from a speaker. The voice sounded different. Not a lot different, but different.

"Sam goes free now?" Dean asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," the voice laughed. "Now you take the next couple of days to dehydrate, while Sam enjoys a more...interactive death."

The lights in the room shut off and Dean was plunged into complete darkness and silence. What had he done?


	7. Chapter 7

Cal's brother joined him with Sam. "Did he do it?" Cal asked.

"He did."

Sam wanted to cry. He had heard the instructions. Now they were both prisoners.

"Well, we got what we wanted from you, Sammy. We don't need you any more," Cal said.

Good. He was ready to die. He just hoped they made it quick. There wasn't any real reason to torture someone if you didn't want anything from them.

Cal's brother took out a syringe and approached Sam. Sam's eyes widened. He had always hated needles. He felt the prick and then he felt sleepy.

"I think that was too much," Cal said.

"Oh well," his brother responded. And that was all that Sam knew as he slumped out of Cal's grasp and down to the floor.

SSS

Dean had to give it to him, or possibly them. He couldn't decide if the voice sounded different because of the different medium, or because it was a different person. But, anyway, having him strip to his underwear ensured that he had nothing to pick any of these locks with. He was in complete darkness now. They apparently weren't even going to watch him die, because 5 mintues after the lights had gone out, the red camera light went out also and it hadn't come back on. Of course, he wasn't sure how long he had been down here. Sitting in complete isolation tended to distort your perceptions of time.

"Dean!" he heard.

"Bobby. I'm down here," Dean yelled back. He was glad he sent that text telling Bobby to come out here the next day if he hadn't heard from him. He wanted to obey the kidnapper's instructions of coming alone,but he hadn't wanted to completely doom himself and Sam.

He heard crashing sounds and figured Bobby was breaking down the door. Good old Bobby. You could always count on him.

The light turned on and he saw Bobby framed in the doorway. "Sam's not with you?" Bobby had found nobody upstairs and had been assuming Sam and Dean and possibly their kidnappers were downstairs, but he decided to hell with stealth.

"He was never here, Bobby," Dean said. "This was a trap to entomb me while they torture Sam to death."

"Do you know where he is? Do you know how took him?" Bobby asked as he went to work on the shackles.

"I have no idea. Something was said about eye for an eye, but that doesn't narrow it down that much."

"Let's go," Bobby said. "Why are you almost naked?" Bobby just realized that if nobody else had been here Dean did this to himself.

"They told me they would let Sam go if I stripped and locked myself up."

"You idgit," Bobby yelled.

"I had to, Bobby," Dean said

Bobby realized that was probably true, but it didn't make him any less an idgit. "Go get dressed," he said in a softer tone.

SSS

Sam heard voices but he couldn't open his eyes. He groaned.

"I think he's waking up."

He tried to open his eyes again. Nothing. He tried to open his mouth. Nothing would work. He felt the darkness coming back. He tried to fight it but eventually let it take over again.

SSS

Dean and Bobby sat down in a nearby motel room trying to figure out their next move. "He's going to figure out you're not dead at some point," Bobby pointed out. "What do you think he'll do then?"

"I don't know. The big question is will Sam still be alive when he figures it out? Is he alive now?"

"And you have no idea who took him?"

"For the millionth time. No!"

"And there's no trail?"

"I found the car he stole, but there was nothing else there. It was in a remote area, so no cameras. No sign of a struggle, which I find really odd, but does nothing to help find him."

"Sorry, Dean. I'm not sure where to go from here."

SSS

Two days later.

"He's waking up again." Sam didn't know if he wanted to wake up. He was so tired. But, he figured he should. He was a Winchester. Winchesters always keep fighting. At least according to his dad. He tried to open his eyes. This time it worked. He was lying on a bed, there was a bright light shining in his eyes, and a doctor and a nurse by his bed. Good. Maybe they could make him feel better.

"How do you feel?" the doctor asked.

"Bad," Sam said, keeping it short and to the point.

"I'm not surprised," the doctor answered. "You seem to have had a couple of knocks to the head and you didn't have any ID on you, so can you try to answer a few questions."

Sam went to nod his head, but thought better of it when the nausea came on. "Yeah."

"What's your name?"

"Sam."

"Last name?"

That was a good question. "Smith," he said the first thing that came to his head. If that turned out to be a bad idea, he'd try to blame it on the head injury.

"Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital?" Sam guessed.

"What's the date?"

"May something, 2006."

"OK. Do you know how you ended up here."

"Not exactly."

"Well, do you know why you're here?"

OK, that one was easy enough. "Car accident."

The doctor looked up from his notes. "Sam, I know that you got at least a couple of those questions wrong."

"Which ones?" Sam asked. He figured his last name and maybe they were in some sort of clinic instead of a hospital.

"It's November and you weren't in a car accident."

What was he talking about? It was May and he definitely knew he had been in a car "accident." That demon had plowed into the Impala. "What about my dad and brother?" he asked. They had looked worse than him and he felt like he was dying. Which probably meant he wasn't. Just wished he were.

"I don't know anything about that. We're going to run some tests on you and then the police wanted to know when you were awake."

"OK," Sam said. But, it wasn't OK. He had to find out what happened to Dad and Dean. And apparently a missing five months.

SSS

Dean and Bobby were still trying to figure out what to do. The last time he had this few leads was when he was trying to find his dad. His phone rang. He looked at the display.

"Who is it?" Bobby asked.

"I don't recognize the number. Do you think it's him. Do you think he knows I'm alive? That he's going to taunt me with Sam's death?"

"Only one way to find out."

Dean had never been so afraid to answer a phone in his life. "Hello?"

"Dean?"

"Sammy?" Was it really him.

"Are you OK?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. How about you? Where are you?"

"I'm at the hospital."

"What hospital?" Dean asked.

"Boonville, CA. Look, Dean, the police are coming to talk to me and I don't know what happened, or what I'm supposed to tell them."

"Just do your best. We're on our way. Can you hold on for me?"

"Yeah, I used the last name Smith," Sam remembered to tell him.

"OK, we'll see you in a few hours."

Sam hung up the phone. He had forgotten to ask about dad, but Dean said 'we' were on the way, so Dad must be OK, too. He closed his eyes. Maybe if the cops thought he had fallen asleep they would leave him alone.

SSS

"Where we going?" Bobby asked.

"Northern California. Sammy's in the hospital. But he sounded more or less OK. Just scared, tired, and stressed."

SSS

"Mr. Smith?"

Sam reluctantly opened his eyes. The officer wasn't going to leave, and SAm would rather get this over with than feel like he was being stared at.

"Can you answer some questions?"

"I can try. I understand I'm missing some time."

"The doctor thinks you've been tortured. Do you remember that?"

"No." Sam figured the doc probably saw some hunting scars. Still didn't answer why he was here. Dean would know.

"Do you have any family?"

"Yes. I've called my brother. He's on his way." Hopefully that would reassure the cop.

"Great. I'll want to talk with him. Maybe he can shed some light on this situation." Crap. He should have seen that coming.

"He'll be here tomorrow." Sam figured Dean would be here before then and could sneak him out. He didn't think he could manaage it on his own power right now. "Can I go back to sleep now?" He was only half asking to get rid of the officer. He was exhausted.

"Yeah. Sure. You must be tired. Doc said he's never seen such a case of starvation and dehydration."

"Uh-huh," Sam said non-committally as he closed his eyes.

SSS

"Sammy." Sam felt himself being shaken.

"Maybe you should let him sleep, Dean."

Dean. Sam opened his eyes and propped himself up. "Dean!"

"How you doing?" Dean asked concerned. His brother had definitely seen better days.

"I'm OK, more or less. Hey, Bobby."

"Hey, kiddo," Bobby forced a smile onto his face. Kid really looked like crap.

"Where's dad?" Sam asked.

Dean and Bobby exchanged a look.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"Dad's dead," Dean said. "You know that?"

"Was is the car accident?"

"Kind of," Dean answered. "Why don't you remember?"

"I don't remember anything after that accident. Apparently it was five months ago. Why am I in the hospital now? The doctor seems to think I was tortured, but I figure it was some kind of hunting thing and he just saw some old scars."

"No. The doctor was right. You were kidnapped and tortured for at least three days. We should get you out of here." Dean was openign the closet and the two drawers in the room.

"What are you looking for?"

"Your clothes. But, you were probably brought in here naked or close to. Bobby, can you grab some clothes for Sam out of the Impala?"

"Be right back," Bobby promised.

"Who kidnapped me?" Sam asked.

"I have no idea. I was kind of hoping you could shed some light on that."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault. Although it's weird you don't remember anything from the last five monhts. I would understand the last week."

"You said dad kind of died from the accident. What does that mean?"

"I don't really want to talk about that, Sam." Why hadn't he just said yes?

"Here you go, Sam," Bobby said, throwing a shirt and jeans at Sam. "We should hurry."

Sam went int the bathroom, changed as quickly as he could manage with his broken arm.

"Let's go."

SSSS

"So, what do you know about your kidnapping?" Dean asked.

"Nothing. I told you I can't remember anything after the accident," Sam was getting frustrated. He had lost months of his life. I mean since it was his life it was probably sucky, but it was still his, and he hated to lose it.

"Yes, Sam, I understand that. But, what did the doctors or cops say?"

"Oh." Sam thought about it. "I guess I got to the hospital because someone had called an ambulance. When it came, I was on the side of the road somewhere, wearing just a pair of torn, bloody jeans."

Dean shivered. That was pretty much the way Sam looked the last time he saw him on the screen. "Anything else?"

"Not really. I did notice this when I got dressed," Sam said, lifting up his pants leg to reveal an ugly purple mark around his right ankle.

"He was electrocuting you," Dean said, closing his eyes against hte memory.

"I'm confused about something," Sam said.

"Why any animal would do this to you?" Dean asked, angrily.

"No. How you know so much about what happened. Were you there?"

"The only thing I know about why you were taken was because it was revenge for something I did. I don't know what. But, he called me and showed me video of you being tortured."

"Then why did he just let me go?" Sam asked.

"Because he thought he had killed me. He didn't need you any more."

"Are you OK?" Sam asked in a panic.

"Yeah, he tried to starve me to death. Well, I guess dehydration would have come first. But, I had texted Bobby where I was going and told him to meet me there in 36 hours if he hadn't heard from. I didn't want to risk not going alone, but I didn't want to doom us both to imprisonment."

"Why don't we pick this up in the morning. Sam looks like he's going to pass out," Bobby observed.

"Sorry," Sam said.

"Don't be," Dean and Bobby said in unison.

Sam lay down and was snoring a few minutes later.

"You, too," Bobby whispered.

"No. Last time I fell asleep, I woke up and Sam was gone. I can't let that happen again."

"Dean," Bobby warned.

"In a little while. Just go to your own room," Dean said.

"Fine," Bobby said.

Dean watched Sam sleeping. He had no intention of falling asleep himself, but Sam sleeping was not the most riveting entertainment.

Dean awakened to Sam trashing in his bed. "No. No. Stay away."

Were Sam's memories of being kidnapped coming back?


	8. Chapter 8

Sam was still screaming out in his sleep.

"Wake up," Dean said, shaking him.

"Dean," Sam sighed in relief.

"Nightmare about the kidnapping?" Dean asked.

"I don't think so." Sam looked down embarrassed. He didn't want to tell Dean. Dean would tease him about this. He always did.

"What was it, Sam?"

"A clown was chasing us," Sam admitted.

"That was a memory, Sam. We chased down a killer clown shortly after the car accident. Maybe this means the rest of your memories will come back."

"Maybe. I'm sure you had a blast teasing me during that clown case."

Dean smiled. "Of course I did. But you came through. You were the one who killed it."

There was a knock at the door. Dean got up and looked through the peep hole and then opened it. "Hey, Bobby."

"Hey guys. I thought I heard screaming?" Bobby asked concerned. They both looked fine.

"Sam had a nightmare," Dean explained.

"The kidnapping?"

"No, but a memory from a case since the accident."

"That's a good sign," Bobby said. "Look guys, I got a call from a friend who really needs help with a hunt. I would say no, but I really owe him. He's saved my life like three times."

"No, that's fine, Bobby. We'll be OK," Dean reassured him.

"Yeah, Bobby. Thanks," Sam agreed.

"OK. If you need anything, though, give me a call."

"You bet," Dean said and closed the door behind Bobby as he left. "How are you feeling?" Dean asked, turning towards Sam.

"Sore," Sam admitted. "Hungry."

"Let's go get some breakfast," Dean suggested.

SSS

Two days later

Sam and Dean had decided to get out of the area and were still taking it easy waiting for Sam's arm to heal, along with the rest of his injuries. They were sitting in a hotel room in Tennessee watching a movie when Dean's phone rang. Dean picked it up without looking at it. "How did you do that?"

He recognized Sam's kidnapper's voice immediately. "Do what?"

"Escape, moron."

"I have my secrets. If you had left the cameras running, I guess you would know," Dean pointed out.

"Well, don't worry. I found you once, I can do it again. How's Sammy?"

Dean's face contorted with anger. "You leave him out of this. Whatever this is. You never did tell me why you wanted me dead."

"I'll tell you right before I kill you." The phone went dead.

"Was that him?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I won't let him get to you," Dean promised.

"It's not me I'm worried about. You're the one he wants dead. Apparently he let me go," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, after he tortured you for days," Dean reminded him.

"Just to get to you."

"We should get somewhere safer," Dean decided. Sam was particularly vulnerable with a cast on his arm. Plus, Sam didn't know what his kidnapper looked like since he still couldn't remember anything. A few more cases had come back to him, but he still didn't remember Dad dying or the kidnapping.

"Like where?" Sam asked. "Did he know where we are?"

"No," Dean admitted. "He said he found us once, he could find us again."

"I wonder how he did find us? That might help us figure out who he is," Sam said.

"That's good thinking, Sam. That Stanford education really paid off."

Sam threw his pillow at Dean. "What were we doing when he grabbed me?"

Great. Dean was probably going to have to end up telling him the big secret again. Well, keeping him safe was more important, and he wasn't likely to run off with a broken arm and a kidnapper after him. "We had just finished up a demon case in Oregon."

"Well, it sounds like I was kidnapped by a human, so the demons probably don't have anything to do with it."

If it were about you, maybe, but since it was about me, probably not, Dean thought. He just nodded to Sam in agreement, though. "So, after the case, we talked about Dad and then we got a motel room. I went to sleep and you left."

"Why did I leave? Maybe they're tracking the Impala," Sam thought suddenly. It wasn't the least inconspicuous car they cuold have.

"You didn't take the Impala. You stole a car," Dean nixed that idea.

"Why did I steal a car? Why did I leave?" he asked again.

Dean sighed. "You went to find answers about your psychic stuff and what the yellow-eyed demon wants with you guys," Dean said. "But, I swear, if you take off again without me, and while you are still recovering, I'm going to lock you in a room myself."

"No, Dean, of course not." Sam felt guilty about what Dean had gone through. And now it seems it must have happened because he had run away from some reason. He thought Dean wasn't telling him the whole truth, but he would probably remember eventually. He was remembering something new every day. "Where was I going?" he asked to get back to the case. "Do you know?"

"I thought you were headed to the Road house. Do you remember the road house?" Sam nodded. That came back to him shortly after the clowns. "I called Ellen and she said she and Ash hadn't heard from you. I headed out that way and found out you had stopped at a gas station. I later found your stolen car abandoned with no sign of a struggle."

"No struggle?" Sam asked.

"Not that I could tell," Dean confirmed.

"What the hell?" Sam asked. "Do you think I knew him?" Not much else would explain the lack of a struggle as far as he was concerned.

"I saw him on a screen while..." Dean trailed off. "I didn't recognize him."

"OK. So basically they could have followed us from the case, or followed me from the motel, or the gas station. All seems like it would be so random. There has to be something else. Did we have any weird conversations with anyone?"

"Define weird," Dean said, remembering the Croatoan case. Every conversation they had had for 24 hours had been weird.

Sam didn't know what he menat specifically, but had known they had many weird conversations over the years. "Point taken. Maybe 'stranger danger' spidey-vibes."

"Not really," Dean shook his head.

"Well, let's hit the sack. Lately I've been doing my best thinking while sleeping," Sam said.

Dean nodded. Most, but not all, of Sam's memories had come to him in dreams.

SSS

Dean woke up to Sam yelling. "NO! NO!"

"Sammy, wake up."

Sam bolted upright in bed, breathing hard and sweating.

"What was it?" Dean asked.

"I think it was the kidnapping," Sam said.

"What happened?" Dean asked. He didn't want to make Sam relive it, but he needed clues.

"There was somebody else there, but I couldn't make out the face. I'm sorry," Sam apologized.

"That's OK, Sammy. I saw him. Remember. What happened?"

"It was dark. And then a door opened and the light came on and a man walked in." Sam stopped, trying to see his face, but it was no use. He shook his head and went on. "He said I'm going to have some fun now.' Then he pushed me down on the ground." Sam stopped.

"Then what?" Dean asked.

"Please don't make me," Sam said.

"Did he?" Dean couldn't ask the question.

Sam understood, though. "No, no. He just...he had a knife and, he...," Sam didn't want to explain that he had to just lay there while some man sat straddled over him, rubbing the knife all over his body like he was fondling him. Occasionally, he would cut Sam, but he would wait until Sam had more or less stopped waiting for the cut. He didn't know how the man knew when he knew, but he apparently did.

"It's OK, Sammy." Dean wouldn't make him describe every detail of what he went through. "Did he say anything else, though?" Words were always important. Even ones that didn't seem like it.

Sam thought back. "He said 'I can't decide.'"

"Can't decide waht?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "That's it. That's all I remember."

"OK. You did a good job," Dean smiled and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked in an embarrassed panic.

"Bathroom. I'll be right back," Dean promised.

"It's OK," Sam said. "I was just curious."

Dean smiled as he turned his back. Yeah, that was convincing. But, then he frowned. Sam was really scared in a way he hadn't been since they had found him. His memory had really shaken him.


	9. Chapter 9

Sam and Dean went out for breakfast the next morning. "You're getting really good eating left-handed," Dean noted.

"Thanks. I can't wait to get this cast off, though. Only a few more days, right?" It hadn't felt like it had been broken that long, but apparently he had been unconscious in the hospital for a couple of weeks.

Dean actually could wait. While Sam had the cast on, they had no choice. They had to sit tight. Sam was stubborn. Once that cast was off he would either want to find a hunt, investigate his demon connection, or hunt for his kidnappers.

"I had another dream last night," Sam said.

"You did? I didn't hear anything."

"It wasn't about the kidnapping. I finally remembered dad dying. I'm sorry, Dean."

"He was your father, too," Dean said, not understanding the apology.

"No, I'm sorry I got in a fight with him right before. And I didn't just remember him dying. I remembered getting all in your face about grieving after. I'm sorry because I should have just let you handle it your own way."

"You were just worried about me." Dean had known that at the time, but he hadn't wanted to think about it. So, he had pushed Sam away.

Sam nodded. "You ready?"

"Sure, let me pay the bill."

"OK," Sam agreed. He stepped outside while Dean went up to the cash register. He realized that this was the first time he had been in public out of Dean's sight since the kidnapping. He couldn't believe how scared he felt. He was a grown man, not some little kid.

"All set," Dean announced walking out the door. Sam jumped. "You OK?" Dean asked concerned.

Sam nodded. "Am I ever going to feel safe again? I suppose that's a stupid question considering our job, but I've just never felt so helpless before."

"Let's go back to the motel," Dean said, not knowing what else to say.

SSS

"I'm going to take a shower, Sammy," Dean said when they got back. The hot water ran out quickly at the motel, so only one could take a shower at a time. Since Sam had sweat a lot the night before, they had decided he got the pre-breakfast shower.

Dean's phone rang shortly after he went in the bathroom. Sam checked the display and saw that it said unavailable. "Hello," he answered, figuring it might be the kidnapper.

"Sammy. How I've missed your voice."

"It's Sam."

The voice on the other end of the phone laughed. "So you've informed me. More than once. Where's your brother?"

"Not available. What do you want?" Sam asked.

"I can't decide."

"Can't decide what?"

"I can't decide if I just want to kill your brother, or kill you and throw you at his feet."

The bathroom door opened. "Who are you talking to?" Dean asked.

Sam looked up guiltily. Dean crossed the room in two strides and grabbed his phone out of Sam's hand. "Who is this?"

"Just your old buddy. You can't protect him from me forever, you know."

"Want to make a bet?"

"Has he told you all the things I did to him? Does he scream in the middle of the night? Looking forward to all the things I will do to him when I get him again? And I will."

"You're not going to lay one hand on him."

"Bye, Deano. See you soon." The voice laughed and then he hung up.

"What the hell were you thinking? Answering my phone?" Dean yelled.

Sam shrank back, thinking Dean was going to hit him.

"I'm sorry, Sam. You know I would never hurt you, right? I just don't think you should be talking to him."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

"Let's go," Dean said, stuffing clothes into his bag.

"Where?"

"I don't know. But, we've been here a while and he said 'see you soon' and I'm just nervous."

"OK." Sam agreed and started packing his own bag.

Dean called around and found a lake cabin for rent. "It's really secluded. I think I'll feel better there."

"Me, too," Sam agreed.

They got in the Impala. Sam grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler. "Want anything?" he asked Dean.

"No, I'm good."

Sam unscrewed the cap and started drinking, while Dean found a radio station. Sam smiled. Some of their best times were spent in the car.

SSS

Sam had fallen asleep in the car. Dean had to wake him from a screaming nightmare again. Luckily they had just arrived at their destination.

"This is nice," Sam said shakily and got out of the car.

"You're going to tell me about your dream," Dean said. It wasn't a question.

"I don't remember it," Sam said looking around.

"Talk," Dean ordered as he unlocked the door.

Sam sat down on the couch. Dean sat down next to him. "I don't remember. I swear."

Dean sighed. This seemed like a step back. Sam remembered all the other dreams he had had. "Do you remember anything at all, even if not the actual dream? A noise? A feeling? An emotion? Anything?"

"Heat."

"Heat? You were probably dreaming about getting burned."

"Probably," Sam agreed.

"We need groceries. Want to go into town with me?" Dean asked.

"No," Sam decided. He was safe enough out here and they could probably use a little space from each other.

"OK. I'll be back in an hour or so."

SSS

Sam lay down for a nap again. He knew he had just woken up, and wasn't sure why he was always so tired. Probably nightmare sleep wasn't all that restful.

His nightmare was different this time. It wasn't a memory. The door opened. He looked up. He recognized that face. It was the same one from the other nights. "Hiya, Sammy." Sam tried to get up. "Oh, good, it looks like you did drink one of those waters I replaced in your cooler. I knew that 'see you soon' line would get Dean on the move."

"You drugged me?" Sam asked, realizing this was no nightmare. Well, it was, but it was real.

"Yeah, the same slow acting drug we used on you the first time. Remember? Takes a couple of hours to hit you. You get sleepy, but you can stay awake. You just can't move your arms and legs. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but the paralysis only lasts about an hour." He leaned over and pulled Sam up a bit so he could pull the gun out from the back of his pants. "Same place as the last time."

"That's why there were no signs of a struggle," Sam deduced.

"Yeah. We actually found you guys a couple of months ago when Dean got arrested for murder. We thought maybe that might be it. But, just in case we put a tracking device on your car when it was in the impound. And sure enough, you guys escaped. We spent a few weeks getting the two locations set up and then came to find you. We were going to wait for you to split up, so we could grab our leverage. We couldn't believe our luck when you stole a car and took off on your own the very first night."

"How did you drug me?" Sam asked, genuinely curious and trying to stall for time.

"You stopped for snacks at that gas station. I bumped into you, and replaced the water bottle you just bought with a drugged one. I wasn't sure you would drink it, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Cal was out putting a kill switch on your motor. We followed you for about an hour an a half and brought your car to a stop in a remote area. You got out and lifted the engine. We stopped and asked if you wanted any help. I saw the half empty water bottle on the front seat, so we pretended to help until you fell over. That's when we almost got caught. But, we gave you injection of a different drug, one that knocked you out and has a side effect of making you forget temporarily. Then, Cal chained you to the side of the van and gagged you. When we got to the house we carried you down to the basement and attached your electified ankle bracelet and the rest is history."

The story was all Sam needed. All the memories came flooding back until the point where they were giving him yet another injection. He even remembered how they almost got caught. Sam had fallen down on the passenger side of the car. Another motorist had pulled over to ask if they needed help. Cal had sat on top of Sam with his hand firmly over his mouth while giving him the aforementioned injection. Sam didn't know what had happened after that, but apparently they had convinced the other people they didn't need help.

"So now what?" he asked.

"I think maybe that's up to you," Cal said as he walked in the door holding a circular saw. "You have three choices. But, first we're going to take your cast off."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Depending on what you choose, might make life easier." Sam held his breath as Cal removed the cast and let out a breath of relief when he was done. He had been more than half afraid that he would just cut off the whole arm. "OK, give him his choices."

Cal's brother took out a gun and rubbed Sam's cheek with it, "One we kill you right now and then kill Dean when he walks in and sees your dead body on the ground."

Cal gave him his second option. "Or, we wait here with a gun to your head, shoot you as Dean walks through the door and then kill him."

"What's the third option?" Sam asked, thinking it had to be better.

"We try a redo of our last plan. Only this time we'll be more successful in our Dean killing phase."

"Is there an option that doesn't end with Dean dead?" Sam asked.

"Of course not. You choose or we will."


	10. Chapter 10

SSS

Dean started loading the groceries into the Impala. All of the sudden he was worried about Sam. He hoped he was OK.

As he drove back, he decided he was being ridiculous. He'd been gone about an hour. Yeah, Sam had a broken arm, but he was a grown man and there was no way that monster could know where he was. Except there shouldn't have been a way to know where he was the first time. That's what was bothering him.

Ten minutes later he pulled up to the cabin with the bad feeling still inside his gut. He'd come back for the groceries after he checked on Sam. He ran up the porch. "Sam!" he yelled as he opened the door.

He wasn't in the living room. He ran back to the bathroom, the kitchen and both bedrooms. Sam wasn't there. "SAM!" he yelled out the door. His phone rang. "Sam?" he answered seeing his brother's name on the display.

"I thought of a fourth option."

"What?" Dean didn't even know there were three other options, but a fourth one just sounded especially ominous. Especially since having Sam's phone meant he had Sam.

SSS

Thirty minutes earlier

"Well, then, you choose, because they're all bad," Sam said.

"Wait, I have a better idea," Cal's brother said.

"Dean's too smart for you. You should just cut your losses and run."

"What's your idea?" Cal asked, ignoring Sam's suggestion.

"Come here," Cal's brother led him out on to the porch and closed the door.

Sam struggled to hear what was going on outside. He tried to move his arms or legs. It was useless. Cal and his brother came back in, several minutes later, Cal putting his phone away. "OK, Sammy. It's all settled."

"What?" Sam asked, figuring he didn't really want to know.

"You'll find out," Cal promised.

Cal's brother pulled out a syringe.

"No," Cal said. "He should remember."

"Fine," his brother agreed and picked up his legs while Cal carried him from under his arms.

"I hope Dean stays away a few more minutes."

Sam found himself tossed into the back of the van. They didn't bother to restrain him in any way. He could only hope the drug wore off before they reached their destination

SSS

They hit a bump and Sam was tossed into the other side of the van. He grunted as he continued to listen to Cal's end of the phone conversation.

"The first three don't matter. The fourth is this. Sam is gone. You'll never see him again. And you'll have to live the rest of your life wondering what happened to him. I hope you have a nice, long life, Dean."

"DEAN!" Sam yelled, but it was too late, Cal was hanging up the phone.

"I kind of wanted to tell him," Cal said.

"But, if he knows, he'll be able to track us down," Collin pointed out.

"I know. If we told him he killed our dad right in front of our kid brother, he could probably find out who we are pretty quick, unless he does that kind of thing a lot."

"Right. And, we really don't need him going after Cole. He's been through enough."

What were they going to do with him that Dean would never find out?

"The drug will be wearing off in a few minutes," Cal said. "Give him another dose."

Sam tried to move. It was now or never. He still didn't have use of his arms.

"What are you going to do with me?" Sam asked and Collin came back to give him the drug

"Do you really want to ruin the surprise?" Collin asked as he pulled Sam's head back and forced him to drink half a bottle of water. "There you go."

"Look," Sam began and Collin grabbed the rag they used to check the oil with and stuffed it in Sam's mouth, tying it in place with a jumper cable.

"You talk to much."

"Blindfold him, too. We don't need him knowing we're where going."

"Good point," Collin said. He looked around for something to use as a blindfold, couldn't really find anything, so put a heavy burlap bag over Sam's head. He felt as if he were suffocating. He tried to spit the acrid tasting cloth out in order to get more air, but it wouldn't budge.

SSS

Dean threw the phone across the room in frustration. They had been trying to find out who these guys were for the last month. They didn't have any more information. The house he had been in had turned out to be a dead end, as it had been rented out in a fake name and paid with cash. There were no new leads and Dean believed him when he said he wouldn't contact him again.

How was he going to find Sam? He called the Roadhouse. A bunch of hunters together could find anybody. He hoped.

SSS

"Dose him up again while I get gas," Cal said.

Sam sighed. The feeling was just starting to come back. Apparently a re-dosing didn't take a 2 hour wait.

SSS

Sam felt the van stop and heard Cal and Collin get out. The back door was opened shortly and Sam was dragged out. He was just getting the feeling back in his limbs so he lifted his hand to remove the bag. He felt a hand reach out and stop him. "No, Sammy. Not yet." Each one of them grabbed and arm and propelled him forward. He heard a door open and he was pushed through. He was guided a little ways, then pushed down on the floor.'

"Go ahead and take off your blindfold and gag," Cal said.

"Should we tie him up?" Collin asked.

"Joe said he wanted his first look at him to be untied."

"Who is Joe?" Sam asked after he got the disgusting gag out. He looked around. This wasn't where they had him before. The fireplace was in on the other side of the room.

"Joe's our cousin. This is his house. Well, his and Uncle Pete's. They're making their monthly supply run. They'll be back by morning," Cal explained.

"Let's tell him everything. Joe is in a very lucrative business. He sells people. He's going to sell you," Collin informed him.

"Sell me to who?"

"The highest bidder.'

"What for?" Sam asked.

"Could be anything. Sex slave. He sold someone to a Liberian descended from slaves who wanted a white slave for payback. Joe usually grabs homeless people that won't be missed, but he's making an exception in your case."

"Lucky me."

"Ill take the first watch," Cal said, pointing his gun at Sam. "Go to sleep, Sammy."

Sam curled up on the floor and soon fell asleep. It had been a long day of riding in the van. It had been very early afternoon when they had nabbed him, and he couldn't see much out the window, but he could see it was dark.

SSS

Sam woke up and saw that both brothers were sleeping. He had to take the chance. He got up slowly and very quietly made his way to the door. He didn't dare hope that it was unlocked. But, it was. He opened it without making a sound and closed it quietly. It was pitch black. He couldn't see any light anywhere betsides the stars and the quarter moon up above. He had to just pick a direction and go. He started walking. He wanted to run but couldn't risk a broken ankle or worse. He had been walking about an hour when the first crack of sun appeared.

SSS

"Wake up," Collin said.

His brother jumped up. "Crap, where did he go?" Cal said.

They ran outside. "Footprints. He headed east."

"It's only a couple of miles to the highway that way."

"Yeah, and the only way over it is by horse," Collin pointed out.

"Joe's got some."

They quickly saddled up and galloped towards the highway.

SSS

Sam continued walking. There wasn't another house in sight. But, then he heard it. Traffic. He started running when he heard hoof beats behind him. He kept going. He was so close, he could see the road just past a line of trees.

"HELP!" he yelled. "HELP!"

A van stopped. Two men, one younger, one older got out and came toward him. "You have to help me. I've been kidnapped."

The younger man approached him and looked back towards traffic. Sam heard approaching hoofbeats. "Come on. Hurry," he said as he attempted to take a step towards the road, but the man blocked him. He turned back. Cal and Collin were dismounting and coming towards them. Sam watched as the older man got in the van and took off.

"You let him escape?" The younger man asked.

"Well, we caught him again, joe," Cal said.

"You caught him?" Joe asked. "You must be Sam Winchester. Or rather you were Sam Winchester. Now, you're Dirt." Sam had never seen such cold, liefeless eyes in his life. Sam felt someone grab his arms behind him and pull while Joe pushed him back. Back away from the traffic, civilization. Anyone that could help.

"You guys are lucky dad and I were driving by at exactly the right time.

"Cal, go help my dad load the supplies onto a horse. Cal, help me with Dirt."

Cal rode off. Collin wrapped his arm around Sam's neck while Joe tied his hands in front of him. he then led him over to Collin's horse and tied the other end to the pommel. He walked over to Collin and whispered in his ear. Collin nodded and walked off. Joe, then mounted and turned his horse towards the house and Sam had no choice but to follow or be dragged.

SSS

Sam was exhausted when they got back to the house. Joe untied the rope from the saddle horn and shoved Sam down on the ground. Sam figured he could probably get the knot tying his hands together undone but didn't really see the point. In daylight he could see there wasn't another house in sight and in his condition Joe or Cal could chase him down before he got very far.

"Where's Collin?" Cal asked.

"He's doing something for me," Joe said

Cal nodded. "We still get half, right?"

Joe rounded on him. "Are you kidding me? I had to chase him down. He was seconds away from the highway and almost made it."

"Come on," Pete said. "They're family."

"Tell you what," Joe said. "You know I usually lead them up the mountain the way I just brought this one back to the house?"

Cal nodded.

"Well, I've been gone longer than I intended. If you think you can get him up the mountain without losing him, you'll still get your cut. But, so help you if he gets away again."

"I can handle him," Cal promised.

Joe walked up to Sam and cut the ropes tying his hands together He then cuffed them behind his back. "Kneel," he ordered.

Again, Sam couldn't see how not obeying would get him anything. He knelt as Joe cut off his shirt, occasionally cutting him in the process. "Good boy," Joe said and patted Sam on the cheek. Sam shuddered. This guy was pure evil. And if anybody knew pure evil when he saw it, it was Sam Winchester. "Sit back," he said and gave Sam a shove. He removed Sam's shoes, but left his socks.

Without another word, Joe mounted his horse, and grabbed the reins of another horse loaded with supplies and took off at a canter.

"I hope you're up for a hike," Cal grumbled. "If it hadn't been for your little stunt, I wouldn't have to take it."

"You could just let me go," Sam suggested.

"No way. Nobody crosses Joe. Get up."

"Here, take some water," Uncle Pete said, handing Cal a water bottle.

"Thanks," Cal said, took a swig and stuffed it in his backpack.

Sam struggled to his feet. With one hand, Cal grabbed his arm, with the other he jammed his gun in his back. "Let's go," he said, and half prodded, half dragged Sam towards the small mountain in front of them.

SSS

An hour and a half later, Cal shoved Sam forward. "Break time," he announced.

"Finally," SAm muttered under his breath. He had thought his lungs were going to burst from the pace Cal was making him keep. HIs feet were blistered and he was pretty sure they were bleeding. He looked longingly at the water Cal was drinking. "Mine," he said and laughed.

Five minutes later, the break was over and they were back on their way.

SSS

Cal stumbled and fell. "Crap," he said.

Sam stood there, waiting for Cal to get up. He realized he wasn't going to. He started running down the mountain. He wasn't sure he could get away. Pete and Collin were down there somewhere, but he would try.

He didn't get far when Joe jumped out of some bushes. "I thought this was about where the drug would take effect. Come on," he pulled Sam back from where he came from.

"Joe, I accidentally got one of the dosed water bottles," Cal said when they reached him.

"No accident about it," Joe said. "I'll be back for you before it wears off."

Joe escorted Sam for about ten minutes until they came to a cabin. He roughly guided him down to the cellar. There were other people there. They were all chained. They were all shirtless. They were all gagged. And they were all under thirty. One girl looked to be about five years old. Sam felt sick. Joe pushed him up against he wall and attached the leg chains. He then uncuffed him and attached the hand shackles. Then he shoved a gag in Sam's mouth.

About forty-five mintues later he was back, half dragging, half carrying a protesting Cal. "But, I'm family."

"That means nothing to me. Ask my sister. That's righ tyou can't I already sold her." Joe then cut Cal's shirt off and chained him to the wall in the same manner as everyone else, omitting the gag.

"What have you done to Collin?"

"My father made a deal with Collin. He would interfere with your sale and he would go free. Bye now."

"JOE! JOE! Come back."

Joe left. The lights were turned off. Sam saw the red light, though. They were all being recorded, so they could all be sold.

SSS

Two weeks later.

Sam had completely lost track of time. he was still in the same position. Still naked and gagged. Occasionally Joe or Pete came down and fed and watered them. More often they came down to whip or hit someone with chains. They had even tazed him a few times. Burned him with cigarrette butts. Once Joe had come down, unchained one of the others and carried her out of the room. Now, Joe was removing the gag and he was given some water.

"Don't worry. We've found you a new home." He slumped to the ground with a groan as he was unchained for the first time in two weeks.

Once outside Sam's hands were tied in front of him and the other end tied to the saddle. Sam was forced to follow the horse once again as the horse headed down the mountain. Sam stumbled and fell and Joe dragged him along for a few yards before stopping and letting Sam stand. "Keep up," he yelled. The next time he fell, he hit his head and fell into blessed unconsciousness.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean was at the Roadhouse with several other hunters. Ellen. Ash. A few others.

"Dean, I found him. Sort of," Ash said.

"What do you mean, sort of?" Dean asked.

"I don't know where he is, but I found a website. They're trying to sell him."

Everyone went over to the computer to look over Ash's shoulder. Sure enough, there was Sam, naked, along with several other naked people that he didn't even want to think about. "How did you find this?" Dean asked to distract himself from his brother's plight. "They can't want cops to see this."

"No. It was invitation only and you need a password. But, I found a back door in. Most people wouldn't be able to find it."

"Wait," Dean said. "That's one of his kidnappers chained up next to Sam."

"Think they had a falling out?" Ash said.

"No idea," Dean said not really caring. He just wanted his brother back "What's that?" Dean asked.

"The bidding counter."

"Are we going to be able to afford him?" Dean just wanted to get Sam safe. He would deal with the "auctioneer" later.

"You pay by wiring the money to an account. I can fool them for 24 hours," Ash assured him. "I just bid $500,000."

"Can you track the site?" That would probably be better.

"I'm trying but they're pinging it around. It's all domestic, so I think one of these pings is the real deal. You want to track that down, while I work the bidding."

"Yeah don't get outbid. Let me know when you win him." Dean took off to check out the first address.

"Will do."

SSS

A few days later

"Dean, I don't know if you want to know this or not," Ash said when Dean told him the first address was a bust and called for a second.

"Please tell me you didn't get outbid."

"No. They have a reserve price that needs to be met. They don't tell us what it is for each person, but they'll complete the transaction with the highest bid at the 24 hour mark after the reserve is met," Ash said.

"What? I thought this would be over soon."

"Sorry, Dean. These black market things get pretty pricey and competitive, but that's not what I was afraid you wouldn't want to know."

"What is it?"

"You can ask them to do things to him for a price."

"What do you mean?"

"People will pay $500 on the spot to watch one of them get whipped or cut or tazed."

"Is there anyway you can hurry up the auction? Offer like $100 million."

"That would just make them suspicious."

SSS

A few days later

"Nice. Did you get the money."

Sam tried not to show any emotion. He knew that voice. It was his dad's friend Jefferson. He couldn't let on to Cal and Collin that he knew him. But, he was finally rescued.

SSS

A few days earlier

"I got him," Ash said. They had the phone at the Road house. "He went for $4 million."

"So what happens now."

"Someone has to go take delivery."

"Well, it obviously can't be you. they'd slit Sam's throat as soon as they see you," Ellen said. "Sorry," she apologized as Dean gasped at the thought of his brother's throat slit.

"I think I make the most sense," Jefferson said. Jefferson had been a friend of his father's.

"OK. I'll meet you."

Jefferson looked at the address Ash had written down. "Look, I know the area. There's a park a half mile away. Wait there and i'll call you when I have him. I'll get him to safety and you can deal with the bozo."

Dean readily agreed.

SSS

Sam woke up, once again chained in the van. Apparently after his last escape attempt, Joe wasn't going to take any chances. Where was he taking him? He felt the van come to a stop. Joe got out and a couple of seconds later was back in and the van started moving again. Seconds later it rolled to a stop and Joe got out again. The back door was opened.

"You're awake. I think that's probably best," Joe said as he jumped in the back and unchained Sam. He cuffed his hands behind his back and pushed him to the floor. He heard a buzzer. Sam heard a garage door, or something similar, open and something drove in.

"Nice. Did you get the money?"

"I did," Joe answered. "He's all yours. I'll help you load him."

"Much appreciated."

Sam was propelled forward and shoved into some kind of vehicle.

"With your purchase I provide extra chains and drugs. The instructions for the drugs are on the back. I"ll give him a first dose."

"No, that's OK," Jefferson said.

"I'm really going to have to insist. If you're not going to take the proper steps to restrain him, I'll have to cancel the deal. This is a paralysis drug that should last until you get home. After that, I assume you can contain him?"

"Yes. Of course. He'll be kept in a locked room in a basement with one leg chained to the wall. He'll have an electrified collar that will shock him if he does somehow manage to get outside. I don't have a landline and my house is on 10 acres of land. Nobody will hear him yelling if he gets to the door."

"OK, you scared me for a second there."

Sam was shoved onto a bed. Must be an RV, or a motor home or something. A chain was fastened around both his feet, and one was wrapped around his torso fastening him onto the bed. His gag as removed as water was forced down his mouth. the gag was then replaced and he heard Joe leave. "I have him," he heard Jefferson say as the engine started. "I'm on my way to you. Man, those guys were sickos. Even gave me drugs to give him. Sorry I couldn't stop him from giving the first dose, but he said it was temporary. He looks to be in pretty bad shape. OK, see you in ten. I don't want to stop to let him loose until I get to you in case anyone is following me."

Jefferson was taking him to Dean. Sam was going to be free at last. Well, until Collin or Joe came after him again.

The RV screeched to a halt. "What the hell? Jefferson asked as Sam heard the door opening followed by a shot.

"Sorry, Jefferson."

SSS

Dean was waiting in the park. Jefferson hadn't shown up. Dean grabbed his phone and called him. The call went straight to voice mail. He drove to the meeting point. The place was deserted.

Dean called Ellen, "I think something's happened to Jefferson and Sam."

"What do you mean?" Ellen asked.

"Jefferson called me, said he had Sam, and then he never showed up. I tried calling again and I got his voice mail."

"His RV has a lo-jack. I'll have Ash track it for you."

"Thanks, Ellen."

SSS

Sam didn't recognize the voice that spoke to Jefferson. But, he could tell two people had boarded the vehicle. The RV started moving again and one of the men approached him.

"Heya, Sammy," he heard as the gag was removed.

"Gordon?" Sam rasped out. "What are you doing here?"

Sam felt Gordon sit down on the bed beside him. "I'm here to put you down like the mosnter you are."


	12. Chapter 12

"No, I'm here to put you down like the monster you are."

Sam felt the RV starting up again and they were on the move again.

"Gordon, please," Sam began.

"But first you're going to tell me all about that demon army you're supposed to be leading."

"What are you talking about? I would never lead a demon army." Sam was genuinely confused.

"Let's just kill him and be done with it," Kubrick said. "None of the others talked, either."

"What others?" Sam asked.

"Your psychic pals. I captured and tortured a few of them. They all claimed to not know what I was talking about. So, you're probably right. Let's just kill him."

They rode in silence for a few minutes.

SSS

Dean was headed back to the roadhouse when his phone rang. "You got anything, Ellen?"

"Yeah,. You're not going to like this. Ash found the coordinates and I know who owns property around there. Gordon Walker."

"Gordon Walker," Dean groaned. He wouldn't go this far because of the vampire incident a few months back would he? Dean wasn't even sure if Sam remembered that.

SSS'

"Sure you don't want to tell me anything, Sammy?" Gordon asked. Sam wasn't sure where they were taking him, but apparently they were going to kill him when they arrived.

"I don't know anything to tell you," Sam said.

"Are you aware of the fact that you stink?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. I can't remember the last time I had a shower."

"Here we are," Kubrick said as the RV jolted to a stop.

Gordon unchained Sam and took the blindfold off. "Get up."

"I can't," Sam said.

Gordon pulled Sam up and he immediately fell down. "Well, that's kind of convenient," Gordon laughed as he picked Sam up, surprised at how light he was. He carried him out of the RV.

"What the hell is that?" Sam asked.

"You've heard of being burned at the stake, right?" Gordon asked.

"NO!" Sam yelled. This was quite possibly the worst way to die.

"Can't we just shoot him?" Kubrick suggested.

"No. We have to burn him alive."

"Gordon. That's a cruel death."

Sam sagged a little in Gordon's arms. Gordon carried him onto the pyre. He had restraints, but it didn't appear that he had to use them. He lay Sam down.

Gordon threw gasoline on the pyre. "Get the ceremonial torch," Gordon said and Kubrick ran back into the RV. Once he got in there, he hesitated. He didn't know if he could do this.

"Won't be long now, Sammy," Gordon taunted.

Then Sam heard the most wonderful sound ever. The Impala came roaring into the field.

SSS

Dean arrived at the field that Ellen sent him to. He saw Gordon and then he saw Sam laying in the middle of the pyre. He realized that bastards was planning on burning his brother alive. Not on his watch. He jumped out of the car as Gordon pulled matches out of his pocket and lit one . Dean had his gun out and shot Gordon through the heart. He dropped the match, but it landed on the structure which caught immediately.

"SAM!" Dean yelled.

Dean ran back to the car. He grabbed the fire extinguisher out of the trunk and ran back to the pyre. He managed to put enough of it out so he could run through. Sam was coughing. "Come on, Sammy," he said as he pulled his barely conscious brother through the opening in the ring of fire to the other side.

Kubrick saw all this from the RV. He decided it was a sign. He decided to cut his losses and drive off.

Dean looked down at Sam. He was just laying there.

"Are you OK, Sammy?"

Sam nodded his head.

"Come on. Get in the car before they come back."

"I can't walk."

Dean went over and got in the car and drove it over next to Sam. He then got out and lifted Sam into the passenger seat. Sam didn't say a word as Dean negotiated his way to a hotel about three hours away. He got out of the car and got them a room. When he returned, Sam was still sitting in the same position. "I got a room." Sam didn't move. "Sam, come on."

Sam then got up and followed Dean to the room.

"Why did they want you dead?" Dean tried not to sound as annoyed as he felt. But, Dean had been so worried for so long. He didn't become any less worried when Sam didn't answer.

"Sam, snap out of it. Why did they want you dead?" Dean asked.

"Apparently I'm supposed to lead a demon army. It's probably what dad was trying to warn you about when he said save me or kill me."

"You remember that?" Dean asked.

"I remember everything," Sam confirmed. "Dean, will you promise me someting."

"What?"

"If you do have to kill me, don't burn me alive. Please?"

"Sam, I'm not going to kill you. I"m going to save you."

"But, if you do have to."

"I won't."

"But, if you do."

Dean realized this could go on forever. "Fine, I promise I won't burn you alive. Happy?"

"Yes."

"So, the original sadistic bastard who took you. I saw him chained up next to you," Dean said.

"Yeah, one of them. They were going to sell me to their cousin, but I got away and so Joe said Cal had to pay for that mistake."

"One of them?"

"Yeah. There were actually two of them. Cal and Collin. I heard them talking and they said you killed their father in front of their kid brother Cole. Does that sound familiar."

Dean sighed. "Yeah. The dad was a monster. I followed him to his house and killed him. His son came downstairs and saw me standing over him with a knife."

"What kind of monster was he?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I'd never seen anything like it before. It was a recent change, though. He had been a regular guy two weeks earlier."

"Poor kid," Sam said.

"Well, we know who they are, so I've got to hunt them down and kill them. Or the one that's left anyway."

Sam didn't say anything.

"You're not going to argue with me about that?" Dean asked.

"I should. I know I should. But, they drugged me, they tied me up, they tortured me, they sold me off to the highest bidder and all to punish you. And they did most of that stuff twice. If Collin finds out that their plan to leave you wondering what happened to me for the rest of your life failed, he's apt to try again. And I don't think I can survive another bout of that," Sam admitted. "And even if he does never try again, I can never know that he won't. I'll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. And then there's their very sadistic cousin Joe." Sam shuddered, remembering the joy Joe seemed to take in hurting them. Hurting all of them.

"You don't have to justify yourself to me," Dean said. "I want to kill them. Plus, I saw the other victims. We have to save as many of them as we can. We just have to track down their lair."

"Oh, that reminds me, they were able to keep finding us because they put some kind of tracking device on the Impala."

"You're kidding," Dean said. He almost felt like his baby had betrayed Sam.'

"No, they did it back when were arrested in Baltimore. They made their arrangements. Came and found us with the tracker and then watched us until they could get me alone."

"Well, I'm going to go outside, find that tracker, get rid of it and then we're sleeping somewhere else tonight. While I"m looking, though, you may want to grab a shower."

Sam laughed. "I know. I'm sorry. I stink."

SSS

Dean found the tracker. It was well hidden. He was actually kind of impressed. If they had put it in the engine he would have found it while doing maintenance. They had placed it in the car, underneat the carpet in the back seat. If he hadn't been looking he never would have found it. He tossed it in the nearest dumpster. At least they wouldn't be able to find them at will.

"You ready, Sam?" Dean asked when he came back in the room. He heard the water running, so he guessed not. He wanted to leave. That tracker was making him nervous, and Sam's speech was making him paranoid. Although, considering that they had already nabbed Sam twice, paranoia might not be the right word.

SSS

Collin had tracked down the Impala again. Because of Sam Winchester's escape attempt, he had had to leave his brother in Joe's clutches. They would have never been in that predicament in the first place if Dean hadn't killed their father. Sam was being taken care of. He almost felt sorry for him. Almost. But, Dean, he had to die.

SSS

Sam got out of the shower and dried off. "Sam?" Dean yelled.

"Yeah, be out in a minute."

"Hurry up. I want to get gone."

"I'm going as fast as I can," Sam said as he grabbed his clean clothes. He hoped Dean realized it was going to take him a few minutes to get dressed. He had a lot of bruises, and his arm wasn't broken any more, but he didn't think it had healed quite right.

"Come on, Sam," Dean yelled a couple of minutes later.

"OK," Sam said as he emerged from the bathroom. "Sorry."

Dean saw the pain in sam's eyes and felt immediately remorseful for yelling. "I'll get your bag for you," he said, by way of apology. Sam jsut assumed it was because it was on the far side of the room and he didn't want to wait for SAm to walk all that way. While Dean was retrieving the bag, sam opened the door and stared straight into Collin's face.

"No way," Collin said.

"Dean!" Sam yelled.

Dean spun around to see Collin grab sam and spin him in front of him, placing his gun to his head. "Get back in the room," he said. "Dean, sit down."

Collin shut the door behind him as Dean sat down on the bed.

"Don't you ever get sick of this?" Dean asked. "How did you even know I had found, Sam?" He was beginning to wonder if they were witches or somthing.

"I didn't. I decided I was just finally going to kill you. You cost me my brother on top of my father"

"So, do it and let Sam go. Haven't you tortured him enough. He never did anything to you."

"Well, killing you and letting him go was the original plan, but you had to go and pull that Houdini act, remember? I mean, we did let him go," Collin reminded him. "If you had died like you were supposed to, this would have all been over."

"Yet you have no problem selling random people. Some of them kids."

"We think our cousin is sick. Until Sam, we've never had anything to do with his business. But, you gave us no choice. Plus, we had to figure out some way to pay him back is loan. Or he would have sold us. Like he's doing to Cal anyway. Business is business," Collin said, quoting Joe from when he had sold his sister.

"So, what are you waiting for?" Dean asked.

"my brother promised you he would tell you why before killing you," Collin said.

"I know why. Sam told me. And I'm sorry about your father, but he was a monster. And, you're a completely different kind of monster."

"You're the monster," Collin countered, grabbing Sam's hair with his free hand yanking his head back, while simultaneously using the gun to force his head back further.

"Please. Just let him go" Dean begged.

"Alright then," Collin said and pushed his gun into Sam's temple. Dean jumped up and plowed into them. The gun went flying. Dean nd Collin struggled for it. It went off and the bullet went straight into Collin's chest.

"Let's go. People are going to have heard that shot."

Sam and Dean ran out of the hotel room and headed out of town.

SSS

Three nights later

Sam and DEan were sleeping in their latest hotel room. There was a knock at the door. Sam got up to answer it.

"Miss me?"

"Joe?"

Joe pulled out a needle. Sam's eyes widened. He didn't know what this particular drug did, but he knew they had so many. Well, he was about to find out. The needle plunged into his neck.

"Dean!" Sam yelled.

"Where is he?" Joe asked.

Sam turned around. Dean wasn't there. The bathroom door was open. He must have gone out to a bar or something.

"Oh well, there will still be plenty more fun to be had when he gets here." Joe pushed Sam toward the bed and he slumped down.

"It's a faster acting one of the paralysis one," Sam guessed.

"Close," Joe agreed. "You can't feel your arms and legs. In a few minutes, you won't be able to speak either. And the best part is, it's all permanent."

"No," sam said.

"But, your mind, that will remain full active, so you know just how helpless you are. Can you imagine how much some people will pay for something like that."

"No," sam begged again. He couldn't do anything as Joe carried him outside slung over his shoulder.

"There's your brother," Joe said when they got outside and pointed. Dean was on the other side of the parking lot, headed inside. "DEAN!" Sam tried to yell to warn him, but nothing came out. Joe dumped him on the ground and ran towards Dean, his gun extended. Sam opened his mouth to try again, and then Dean was down on the ground, a pool of blood forming around his head.

Joe laughed. "We'd better hurry," he said running back to him.

Sam found himself in the dreaded van once more. Joe didn't tie him or gag him. There was no reason to. What seemed like minutes, but was probably hours later, the van stopped. Joe pulled him out and Uncle Pete came out from the house to help. "Are we selling him again?"

"Yes, but not right away." They were dragging him towards the house. They pulled him inside and pushed him into a room. They pushed him onto the bed. Uncle Pete was there. The last thing Sam saw was the two of them laughing at him. Then Joe put a blindfold on him. Then he felt hands tugging at his clothes, tearing them off. He tried to scream, but he knew nothing came out. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't see. But, he could feel what they were doing to him, and he could hear them saying what they were going to do to him and tears spilled out of his eyes.

Sam sat up in bed gasping for breath. It had been a nightmare, he realized.

"You OK, Sam?" Dean asked jumping out of bed himself.

"Just a nightmare," Sam said.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Definitely not," Sam responded. Dad told Dean he would have to kill him if he couldn't save him. Dean had saved him enough times. Now, he would save himself. He would hunt down Joe, "Uncle Pete", Kubrick, and every other threat, including that kid Cole. Maybe that demon army Gordon was talking about could come in handy. Nobody was there to see it, but for just an instant, Sam's eyes flashed yellow as he made his plans to protect himself and those he cared about. Everyone else, well they didn't matter any more. He'd seen the worst humanity had to offer.

At the same time Cole was laying in his bed. His brothers had gone out to get revenge on Dean Winchester. They hadn't come back. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. When he was fully grown, he would finish what they started. And he remembered what they said. Sam Winchester was they key.

SSS

1 week later

After selling Cal, Pete went to check the bank account. The money for Sam Winchester had disappeared. He knew Joe would blame him for that. He went down to the basement where Joe was feeding and watering the "animals."

Joe looked up, "Hey, dad, what's up?"

"Someone wants to see the little girl get tazed," he said.

"OK. As he turned to grab the tazer from where they kept it handy for such occasions, Pete lunged toward him and injected him.

Later Joe woke up chained to the wall. The other animals had been freed from their chains, but Pete had locked them all in. He screamed as they attacked him.

6 months later

Cal was slaving in the field in the hot African sun. That Liberian he had told Sam about had bought him. He felt the overseer's whip on him. He couldn't take it any more. He turned around and attacked the overseer. He saw the blood before he actually felt the knife that had just been buried in his gut. Then he sank to the ground and felt no more.

The End

A/N Sorry. This totally got away from me. And I did so many re-writes and it still just went way too far.


End file.
